Sealife guideThe thornback cowfishLactoria fornasini
Taxonomy
Description
The thornback cowfish has a box-shaped body that resembles a chest. It is distinguished by its long spines located on its head above its eyes, as well as on the dorsal and posterior parts of its body.
The thornback cowfish displays a yellowish to greenish coloration with irregular patterns of bluish or brown spots and lines across its body.
Range
The thornback cowfish is found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific, especially in the Bali sea, from east Africa to the Bass islands.
Habitat
The thornback cowfish lives in coral reefs and seagrass beds, where it easily hides thanks to its patterns
Did you know ?
The thornback cowfish is a poisonous species of boxfish. Indeed, when stressed or threatened, it secretes toxins as a means of defense against predators
Unlike other fish, the boxfish’s body is covered with a rigid shell made of bony plates, which protects it like armor from predators but also limits its body movements. As a result, the boxfish moves more slowly by undulating its dorsal and anal fins.
Within the same family
Scrawled cowfish
(Acanthostracion quadricornis)
Yellow boxfish
(Ostracion cubicus)
Smooth trunkfish
(Rhinesomus triqueter)
Honeycomb cowfish
(Acanthostracion polygonium)
Spotted boxfish
(Ostracion meleagris)
Reticulate boxfish
(Ostracion solorensis)
Spotted trunkfish
(Lactophrys bicaudalis)
Explore also
Giant trevally
(Caranx ignobilis)
Highhat
(Pareques acuminatus)
Gorgeous prawn-goby
(Amblyeleotris wheeleri)
Spotted scorpionfish
(Scorpaena plumieri)
Multibarred angelfish
(Paracentropyge multifasciata)
Sunfish
(Mola mola)
Orange banded butterflyfish
(Coradion chrysozonus)
Sand tilefish
(Malacanthus plumieri)
The marine species from Indo-Pacific
Bicolor angelfish
(Centropyge bicolor)
Bigeye trevally
(Caranx sexfasciatus)
Blue tunicate
(Rhopalaea fusca)
Brownbanded bamboo shark
(Chiloscyllium punctatum)
Copperbanded butterfly
(Chelmon rostratus)
Pearl-scaled angelfish
(Centropyge vrolikii)
Persian carpet flatworm
(Pseudobiceros bedfordi)
Thornback cowfish
(Lactoria fornasini)
Our latestUpdates
Monday, May 5th 2025
The California spiny lobster
The California spiny lobster has an elongated body and a hard exoskeleton, usually brown in color with yellow or orange patterns. The California spiny lobster inhabits the temperate waters along the eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean, particularly those of California and the Gulf of California.
Monday, April 14th 2025
The bigeye trevally
The bigeye trevally has a silver-colored body with, as its name suggests, larger eyes compared to other trevally species. It is distinguished from other trevally species by the slightly yellowish color of its tail.
Monday, April 7th 2025
Best things to do in Miami
A flagship city of Florida, Miami is a dream destination where paradise beaches, a vibrant Latino atmosphere and a buzzing nightlife come together. With its year-round sunshine, iconic Art Deco architecture and dynamic cultural scene, Miami has everything to captivate travelers in search of escape.
Photo of the Day
Baleine à bosse
(Megaptera novaeangliae)
